Team-building Terror – Dolphin Empathy and Other Nightmares

Have you ever been on a team-building day that went horribly wrong, or made you feel uncomfortable?

Here are three tales of team-building terrors which have been posted online by traumatized participants. We won’t reveal who was behind them!

• One team took part in a horse-whispering session, where people were asked to talk to horses to learn more about communication. It went horribly wrong when a horse bolted and almost trampled the partipants underfoot. “We did bond – but only because we thought we were going to die,” said one of the group.
• In Japan, some employees had to take part in naked baths with their bosses and supervisors (of the same gender only). After washing their hair, they sat in a hot spring for the “naked relationship” session which was thought to break down barriers, promote equality and build trust.
• And finally… In a giggle-inducing session, colleagues were asked to sit cross-legged and hold hands, while imagining themselves “flying over the ocean into the Temple of the Dolphin.” The group was then asked to watch a video about dolphins and observe their leadership skills. One participant said: “It was incredibly difficult to keep a straight face.”